Apple is the only PC or smartphone vendor to have full control over the user experience it provides to its customers, thanks to its positioning as an integrated platform vendor. This is a key--often overlooked--advantage for the company that is driving customer satisfaction and trust as well as attracting serious attention from the enterprise at a time when Google's Android is doing neither one.

Apple's unique positioning not only gives the company unmatched flexibility in broadly, rapidly rolling out ambitious new features like ARKit, APFS or TrueDepth's Face ID, but also isolates the company from flaws in vendor components, because Apple can work around design errors (like Intel's Meltdown), deficiencies (like Intel's mobile modems that are a step behind Qualcomm's) and the constraints of physics (the fact that batteries wear out).

Over the last quarter, Apple has been portrayed as bedeviled by production issues with iPhone X's TrueDepth cameras, demonized over its battery life optimization management, and--most recently--targeted as a platform vendor blindsided by the Meltdown and Spectre chip design flaws. In reality however, these problems are actually demonstrations of Apple's powerful position as a value-added integrator of third-party technologies.

Disparagement of Apple's huge platform advantage

Virtually every component in PCs or mobile devices carries its own baggage of errata, flaws, deficiencies and other quality issues. For Apple's critics, any discovered flaw in its suppliers' memory, processors, connectivity, cameras or in any other respect is regaled as a narrative of error, crisis and shame, even though Apple has the power to quickly and effectively address these in a way that users rarely even need to notice. Apple has a long history of solving issues--virtually invisibly--for its customers.

Yet every year, there have been tales of "disastrous, scandalous" behavior from Apple, ranging from the idea that iPhone 6's case could be bent by a man with strong hands to iPhone 7 having internal variations of its mobile modem that slightly affected the peak throughput one could expect when transferring data, to the idea this year that various older iPhone models are slowing down as their batteries wear out--despite this being a purposeful step to extend their usable life prior to a battery replacement, and was announced by Apple itself, rather than being discovered as a mistake by outsiders.

One could spend time factually outlining that all of these stories were overblown sensationalism, or one could simply compare how Apple's grossly exaggerated "flaws" pale in comparison to the far more serious problems of its competitors over the same period: products that were literally bursting into flames on airplanes, shutting down and failing to charge, burning through their displays, spying on users and opening up to well-known vulnerabilities that will likely never be patched.

Android, Galaxy aspire to be real platforms but really are just brands

None of the various Android licensees are raked over the coals for suffering from bad components and other discovered flaws the way Apple is. And on top of that, the much wider and deeper problems that plague Android phones are rarely addressed by their vendors.

Even Google itself, which is regularly credited with "having" all of Android's market share, is almost never tasked to account for the problems within the "platform" it presides over. Google's engineering itself has caused--but in many cases has not bothered to fix--OS problems for its Android licensees. Samsung's very real culpability (based on rushed engineering and incompetent quality assurance) was down-pedaled and minimized by the same media sources that attack Apple over nothingburgers

Even during the most egregious smartphone explosion crisis of Galaxy phone batteries last year, Samsung's very real culpability (based on rushed engineering and incompetent quality assurance) was down-pedaled and minimized by the same media sources that attack Apple over nothingburgers.

Samsung's Galaxy battery issues were even passed off as being an issue with Samsung's battery subsidiary (not the Samsung Galaxy makers!) as if the company is so large that there's no place the buck can ever stop.

Like Google, Samsung's smartphone brand is regularly credited for everything the entire Samsung Electronics conglomerate does (including building displays and chips for Apple) but the company's flaws, mistakes, design errors, sloppy engineering--and even the criminal conduct of its executives--is brushed under the table as being irrelevant to Samsung's Galaxy brand.

Very low expectations for Android say a lot

The most recent example of grading Android on a Neanderthal curve and holding Apple up to Einstein expectations is the half story of children's electronics addiction that somehow only affects iOS--much like the previous half-stories told by everyone from New York Times charlatans to New York Times Pulitzer Prize winners of how Apple is the only company building products in factories, or with labor, or using a supply chain. The rampant outrage-mongering targeting Apple is so facile and basic in its cartoonishness that it actually tells a story--in negative space--of the competence girding iOS and macOS development

The rampant outrage-mongering targeting Apple is so facile and basic in its cartoonishness that it actually tells a story--in negative space--of the competence girding iOS and macOS development. No other mobile computing platforms are even remotely close to Apple's in actively managing threats and solving issues that arise.

Google and Android don't actively care about anything of those things, and neither does the basic tech media consumed with grinding out clickbait expressing stratospherically high expectations for Apple and feigning a sudden interest in the environment, the plight of overseas workers or the dangers of children staying up late playing games.

High expectations for Apple say a lot too

At the same time, there are many things among Apple's offerings that are easily targeted with legitimate complaint. Apple Maps search is terrible; when I look for virtually anything at any time, I'm pushed asinine results from thousands of miles away that couldn't possibly pass any competent sanity test. There are gross imperfections in iCloud Photo sharing (and photo offloading) and in the brand new Files app. There are annoyingly idiosyncratic aspects of Apple TV 4K, the iMac Pro and even Apple's creme de la creme product introduction of iPhone X.

Certainly, for example, if Apple can move Control Center to the top right corner of iPhone X and distinguish it from the drag target of a Notifications pull down from the top center, it could also offer to move the Control Center hot corner to the more familiar and easily reachable bottom right and distinguish between standard swipes up the center. Why make such a crucial, common gesture so awkward?The niggling iOS behaviors we can think up improvements to only occur to us because virtually everything else works almost perfectly

However, the fact that we split hairs and cut into autopsies of every error and perceived mistake in macOS and iOS actually paints a picture of healthy platforms maintained with state of the art competence. The niggling iOS behaviors we can think up improvements to only occur to us because virtually everything else works almost perfectly.

That can't be said of Windows, Android or most other products that are cobbled together with inscrutable user interfaces and inconsistent behaviors so clumsy that nothing really sticks out as an issue that could be fixed. The expectation for non-Apple products is that you have a complex device and just need to spend hours trying to work around its bizarre rough corners on your own.

For example, what's wrong with Surface Pro 4, Pixel 2 XL or the Galaxy S8? So much that one can't even start suggesting quick fixes for any of it.

There have been a series of recent high profile flubs and embarrassing errors from Apple, particularly over the last launch cycle. Logging in as root by the brute force of hitting the return key is an egg-face moment. It's reminiscent of Microsoft in the late 90s, when egregious security lapses earned the company well-deserved shamings.

Microsoft was shamed all the way to the bank

Despite severe software architectural errors and wildly incompetent lapses that resulted in a series of major issues ranging from global malware explosions to the expensive disaster cleanup of Y2K, Microsoft escaped the 1990s stronger than ever. Across the 2000s it slowed its pace but increased its earnings and value. Key to Microsoft's resilient commercial performance--warts and all--was its ability to control the Windows platform, which defined and anchored much of the world's most valuable software projects.

Today, Microsoft still wields much control over PCs, but has failed to expand its curation and control over the much faster (and more commercially important) growth of mobile devices. Windows Phone and Windows Mobile have been straight up failures, and even its media-praised Surface mobile PC lineup has limped along with tepid sales of little relevance.

Apple's iOS has taken over Microsoft's position as the platform that matters in mobile devices. The people who love the concept of open source software would like to believe that Android and other Linux-based projects have a greater commercial relevance, but the reality is that Android and Linux are only driving a creative fringe and the basic mainstream of third-rate, discounted devices. Apple's market share is smaller but vastly more valuable; just ask Google why it pays billions for the privilege of being on iOS.

Apple has demonstrated that it is fully capable of appropriating and improving upon ("embracing and extending," in Microsoft's parlance) technologies first floated among Android licensees or by Google itself. Apple's well-managed platforms play a major role in being able to do these big, mainstreaming steps of practical technology

From Apple Watch to Touch ID to Apple Pay to ARKit, Apple has shown an unusual competency at taking over flawed, premature ideas arrived at "first" by other companies, and then perfecting them into real-world offerings that sell at a sustainable profit. Apple's well-managed platforms play a major role in being able to do these big, mainstreaming steps of practical technology.

The result is that Apple is making the vast majority of the profits in the mobile industry, and is the only company building out highly valuable accessory and ecosystem features (from Apple Watch to AirPods) that contribute to the company's unmatched profitability and revenues. Like Microsoft in the 1990s, Apple is shrugging off competitors as if they are little more than clouds of smoke.

Like Microsoft Windows, but without PC makers' problems

And again, another way Apple is like Microsoft of the 1990s is that Apple is isolating users from the flaws and problems of its partners. It is actively making its end users the cared-for customers of Apple, not the vendors of Samsung OLED screens, Toshiba RAM, Sony camera elements, Texas Instruments flood illuminators, IR dot projectors from Finisar and Philips, modems from Intel and Qualcomm and other silicon from Broadcom, Cirrus, Dialog, NPX and others. It simply doesn't matter to end users who makes the components in their iPhones and Macs because the buck literally stops with Apple.

A critical way Apple differs from Microsoft of the 1990s (or Google's Android today) is that Apple selects only the components it wants to support in its own hardware. Both Windows and Android are openly exposed to third-party licensees' selections of fringe components. And in their cutthroat markets for discount products, those engineering decisions generally skew toward cost savings and away from excellence and technical ambition.

Under Windows, PC vendors "component freedom" complicated things for Microsoft in terms of platform support but also greatly expanded the range of platform options for things like GPUs and other specialized hardware, opening up markets from serious PC video games to a range of industries' integrated VARs--from servers to ATMs to casino machines and cash registers.

Crucially, Apple's ability to rapidly update its platform and actively roll out patches for flaws across its 1 billion iOS and Mac users gives the company incredible power to arrest active vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited by malicious infiltrations--and even ameliorate first party flubs in Apple's own software.

Google can barely handle the band-aids required on its own vanity-branded Pixel products of little commercial significance. The majority of Android-powered devices are neither improved upon nor secured from exploits after their sale. Google is so aware of this problem that it has made Pixel's OS support promises a major differentiator from basic Androids in its own marketing!

When Intel or Samsung or any other vendor screws up and delivers a flawed component, Apple has the ability to address the issue with its partner suppliers and fix things for its iOS and Mac customers. That's only occasionally done on Windows, and rarely every attempted on Android.

This helps to explain why customers express such high satisfaction for Apple and why they unapologetically pay a premium for its products. It also explains why people have higher expectations from the company, demand a higher level of in-store service and take for granted that Apple will fix issues and patch vulnerabilities before they grow into real problems.

That's an important differentiation that no other mobile hardware vendor can claim. Samsung (which still represents about half of Android) remains dependent upon Google. Google is dependent upon a variety of third-party hardware makers, none of whom share the interests of Google and its shareholders. Xiaomi and Huawei aren't trying to make Google rich. They're using Google software in the most cynically selfish way possible.

Even Samsung would dump Google in a heartbeat if it could get its own OS software to gain any traction in phones. It already has in smartwatches, even without the traction.

The top five Chinese smartphone brands have no strategy for ameliorating Google's Android flaws, nor any joint interest in addressing privacy issues, child device addiction problems, environmental or workplace grievances or any of the other problems commonly associated with iPhones.

A platform on fire is not really a platform worth standing on, just ask Nokia.

“Apple Maps search is terrible; when I look for virtually anything at any time, I'm pushed asinine results from thousands of miles away that couldn't possibly pass any competent sanity test.”

I asked my Watch how far I was away from Salem, meaning Illinois, and it helpfully proffered that I was a mere 8,200 miles away from Salem, India, as the crow flies. My town had two middle schools according to Maps; I submitted a ticket noting one of them was torn down in 1982. It was corrected within hours, which was impressive.

Excellent article that shows that no matter how high Apple itself sets the bar for itself, to millions of happy customer's delight, it can never be high enough for those who seek to find fault in everything Apple does. I think there is a widespread societal pattern of building up its "heroes" with much fanfare and to bask in their success - but only to a point! Once they've built them up and supported their hero the hero become "too successful" for their taste and the hero must fall. They flip the switch and then relish in every one of the now former heroes real or perceived failings and they ultimately take great pleasure in seeing their heroes final failure and demise. It makes them feel good to see the cycle play out. If they can't personally climb to the levels of their former hero, now doomed, they must dig a hole and throw their former hero in the hole. I don't know where this falls in the range of human cognitive behaviors, but it is very common, predictable, and easy to observe in the media, blogs, and various online social communities. Every little nit that Apple is accused of, rightly or wrongly, is headline news with harsh negative overtones, even if Apple is only involved in an ancillary way like the Meltdown/Spectre hardware bugs.

The problem that people whose own self worth is fueled by the "build 'em up just to cut 'em down" mindset have with Apple is that Apple refuses to play along with the delusional script. Outsider inflicted negativity attacks and unreasonably harsh judgements that would push lesser companies into behaviors that lead to the death spiral don't faze Apple. Tim Cook keeps the troops focused on delivering great products and doing the best jobs they can do despite the negativity and noise. Tim Cook also does a very good job of not adding to the chaos, something other leaders are susceptible to doing when they are personally attacked. So the hole diggers will have to keep digging away and hope that they find a way to get Apple in one of the holes they've dug. My advice to the hole diggers - jump in your own damn hole so the rest of us don't have to see you anymore. Now would be as good a time as any...

Excellent article that shows that no matter how high Apple itself sets the bar for itself, to millions of happy customer's delight, it can never be high enough for those who seek to find fault in everything Apple does. I think there is a widespread societal pattern of building up its "heroes" with much fanfare and to bask in their success - but only to a point! Once they've built them up and supported their hero the hero become "too successful" for their taste and the hero must fall. They flip the switch and then relish in every one of the now former heroes real or perceived failings and they ultimately take great pleasure in seeing their heroes final failure and demise. It makes them feel good to see the cycle play out. If they can't personally climb to the levels of their former hero, now doomed, they must dig a hole and throw their former hero in the hole. I don't know where this falls in the range of human cognitive behaviors, but it is very common, predictable, and easy to observe in the media, blogs, and various online social communities. Every little nit that Apple is accused of, rightly or wrongly, is headline news with harsh negative overtones, even if Apple is only involved in an ancillary way like the Meltdown/Spectre hardware bugs.

The problem that people whose own self worth is fueled by the "build 'em up just to cut 'em down" mindset have with Apple is that Apple refuses to play along with the delusional script. Outsider inflicted negativity attacks and unreasonably harsh judgements that would push lesser companies into behaviors that lead to the death spiral don't faze Apple. Tim Cook keeps the troops focused on delivering great products and doing the best jobs they can do despite the negativity and noise. Tim Cook also does a very good job of not adding to the chaos, something other leaders are susceptible to doing when they are personally attacked. So the hole diggers will have to keep digging away and hope that they find a way to get Apple in one of the holes they've dug. My advice to the hole diggers - jump in your own damn hole so the rest of us don't have to see you anymore. Now would be as good a time as any...

"... the idea this year that various older iPhone models are slowing down as their batteries wear out--despite this being a purposeful step to extend their usable life prior to a battery replacement, and was announced by Apple itself, rather than being discovered as a mistake by outsiders."

The question here is not that Apple did anything wrong in making iPhones with failing batteries last longer on a charge, and avoid unexpected shutdowns due to the failing battery's low current. The question is why Apple didn't inform people that it was making a change to improve the user experience, by avoiding unexpected shutdowns on iPhones with failing batteries by slowing the processor to accommodate the inadequate current provided by the failing battery.

But that question should be followed up by asking how many times has any operating system updates, from ANY developer (including Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, etc.) included a special notice to the user of EVERY code change made to improve the user experience.

The answer is that this is NOT a common action, and that users would be inundated with a deluge of information if any developer made a point of notifying the user of ALL code changes with each update, and the effect each would have to improve their user experience.

Unless someone prefers to have their iPhone with a failing battery shut down unexpectedly, and NOT be useable for a longer time (which no sensible person really wants), then this whole issue (and some people's "indignation") is totally senseless.

I seriously don't know how anyone actually installs anything from Google in their house.....with Google listening to their every word for marketing..... It bugs me that my Sony TV uses Android...

Other than someone posting silliness I wasn't planning on spending any time posting this thread... but your comment qualifies for a response.

Google isn't "listening to your every word for marketing" anymore than Siri is. Both are "listening" for a keyword wakeup on your device only. Only after you speak the keyphrase does your iPhone or Android phone begin sending your commands to a Google or an Apple server for processing.

There's just so much FUD being tossed around about our Assistants, Siri, Google and Alexa and it's repeated so often that folks such as yourself believe it to be true.

Now as for your specific Sony TV it may have tried "to enable a tracking service during the TV’s setup. It can be disabled inside the TV’s Help menu, under “Privacy Settings.” Doing so may disable some built-in recommendation features that rely on view tracking."

With smart tv's in general it's not Android or Google or Amazon that should cause any concern. There's zero evidence that they are listening for anything outside of a keyword wake-up if it's so equipped. But there have been cases where the manufacturer (ie Samsung IIRC) sets up the complementary software for "listening", Nilsson the TV survey guys have arrangements with certain companies (was Vizio one?) to install the ability to identify the programming you might be playing, and apps with poorly disclosed functions that listen for background noises, TV/Movie sounds and such have been found in both Google Play and the App Store and from a couple of different companies tho they've been relatively rare. Outside stores are far more likely to have it embedded within some otherwise harmless app. So it's another great reason to stick with official app stores and avoid the 3rd party ones.

It's not Android or iOS that you should be fearful of, it's whether the set manufacturer is trustworthy.

Everyone back as you were enjoying a DED editorial. I've no comment on it and I know many here look forward to them.

I seriously don't know how anyone actually installs anything from Google in their house.....with Google listening to their every word for marketing..... It bugs me that my Sony TV uses Android...

Other than someone posting silliness I wasn't planning on spending any time posting this thread... but your comment qualifies for a response.

Google isn't "listening to your every word for marketing" anymore than Siri is. Both are "listening" for a keyword wakeup on your device only. Only after you speak the keyphrase does your iPhone or Android phone begin sending your commands to a Google or an Apple server for processing.

There's just so much FUD being tossed around about our Assistants, Siri, Google and Alexa and it's repeated so often that folks such as yourself believe it to be true.

Now as for your specific Sony TV it may have tried "to enable a tracking service during the TV’s setup. It can be disabled inside the TV’s Help menu, under “Privacy Settings.” Doing so may disable some built-in recommendation features that rely on view tracking."

With smart tv's in general it's not Android or Google or Amazon that should cause any concern. There's zero evidence that they are listening for anything outside of a keyword wake-up if it's so equipped. But there have been cases where the manufacturer (ie Samsung IIRC) sets up the complementary software for "listening", Nilsson the TV survey guys have arrangements with certain companies (was Vizio one?) to install the ability to identify the programming you might be playing, and apps with poorly disclosed functions that listen for background noises, TV/Movie sounds and such have been found in both Google Play and the App Store and from a couple of different companies tho they've been relatively rare. Outside stores are far more likely to have it embedded within some otherwise harmless app. So it's another great reason to stick with official app stores and avoid the 3rd party ones.

It's not Android or iOS that you should be fearful of, it's whether the set manufacturer is trustworthy.

Everyone back as you were enjoying a DED editorial. I've no comment on it and I know many here look forward to them.

Google Assistant (apparently) doesn't listen to audio all the time (unless there's a problem where Home is stuck listening, which Google called an unanticipated error and fixed). However, that's not true of Android as a platform. Apps on Android commonly request all kinds of access to hardware they don't need to function, and use this any way they like. Google doesn't police this. They can listen to the mic, turn on the camera, go through your contacts and upload all this to their own servers. Apple anticipated that developers would trying to do this, and established permissions where the user is asked to approve access to location, mic, camera, etc.

On both platforms, users commonly give apps all the permissions they ask for, and can abuse those permissions once granted (as Facebook does). iOS makes this more obvious, and enables users to selectively turn off permissions per app and per service. But the fact remains that Android on its own--whether from Google or a version from anyone else--is set up to spy on users and is effectively hacked on arrival. It's wildly easy to spy on an Android user. It's much harder to install malware, key loggers and other crap on iOS, and to listen to users you have to get purposely installed and approved by the user. It's just too easy on Android, even for people who are making an effort not to be tracked, recorded and surveilled by their apps. There are lots of Android products that ship with malware installed by default, clearly on purpose. This is a big problem, whether or not you want it to be. The problem is definitely larger with sketchy apps and hardware vendors, but Android enables them.

Only a small fraction of Android devices get critical security updates (Pixel, Galaxy or other flagships). Others might get updates within the 1st year (with no guarantee how often you might get them) and the rest don’t get any updates the day after you activate it.

I’m still amazed how many people overlook (or put up with) the absolutely horrible update situation on Android. It’s also interesting how little talk there is about Meltdown/Spectre in regards to Android and the fact most devices in the world WON’T get an update for this. Everyone’s focused on Intel, Microsoft and Apple and how long it’ll be until they’re patched, while a billion mobile devices are sitting out in the wild forever vulnerable.

This is the single most significant advantage iOS has over Android (and it’s a biggie).

I seriously don't know how anyone actually installs anything from Google in their house.....with Google listening to their every word for marketing..... It bugs me that my Sony TV uses Android...

Other than someone posting silliness I wasn't planning on spending any time posting this thread... but your comment qualifies for a response.

Google isn't "listening to your every word for marketing" anymore than Siri is. Both are "listening" for a keyword wakeup on your device only. Only after you speak the keyphrase does your iPhone or Android phone begin sending your commands to a Google or an Apple server for processing.

There's just so much FUD being tossed around about our Assistants, Siri, Google and Alexa and it's repeated so often that folks such as yourself believe it to be true.

Now as for your specific Sony TV it may have tried "to enable a tracking service during the TV’s setup. It can be disabled inside the TV’s Help menu, under “Privacy Settings.” Doing so may disable some built-in recommendation features that rely on view tracking."

With smart tv's in general it's not Android or Google or Amazon that should cause any concern. There's zero evidence that they are listening for anything outside of a keyword wake-up if it's so equipped. But there have been cases where the manufacturer (ie Samsung IIRC) sets up the complementary software for "listening", Nilsson the TV survey guys have arrangements with certain companies (was Vizio one?) to install the ability to identify the programming you might be playing, and apps with poorly disclosed functions that listen for background noises, TV/Movie sounds and such have been found in both Google Play and the App Store and from a couple of different companies tho they've been relatively rare. Outside stores are far more likely to have it embedded within some otherwise harmless app. So it's another great reason to stick with official app stores and avoid the 3rd party ones.

It's not Android or iOS that you should be fearful of, it's whether the set manufacturer is trustworthy.

Everyone back as you were enjoying a DED editorial. I've no comment on it and I know many here look forward to them.

Love the way you say have no comment on it, having predictably commented on it, as everyone knew you would. Your lack of willpower is truly extraordinary.

Only a small fraction of Android devices get critical security updates (Pixel, Galaxy or other flagships). Others might get updates within the 1st year (with no guarantee how often you might get them) and the rest don’t get any updates the day after you activate it.

I’m still amazed how many people overlook (or put up with) the absolutely horrible update situation on Android. It’s also interesting how little talk there is about Meltdown/Spectre in regards to Android and the fact most devices in the world WON’T get an update for this. Everyone’s focused on Intel, Microsoft and Apple and how long it’ll be until they’re patched, while a billion mobile devices are sitting out in the wild forever vulnerable.

This is the single most significant advantage iOS has over Android (and it’s a biggie).

MOST Android devices already received updates that helped protect Android users from much of the Meltdown/Spectre vulnerabilities ...and by chance as it were.

An exploit affecting Linux from this past year was patched, with the changes rolled out to the majority of Android devices last year. Because of that much of the exposure to Meltdown/Spectre was already mitigated altho it was not obvious at the time. Using those exploits against most Android phones would be "difficult and limited" today according to the security professionals who discovered and researched it. That's probably why you aren't seeing sky-is-falling hand-wringing regarding Android and Meltdown/Spectre. Luck.

I love your careful wording.

“much of the Meltdown/Spectre vulnerabilities ...”

https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/7622138This is the link you provided in the other thread. Notice how there are significant updates within the last 2 months. Are you going to claim that MOST Android devices have received these updates?

Further, Google has said there are future updates coming to aid in mitigating these exploits. Are you going to claim MOST Android users will receive these future updates as well?

Finally, Google had this to say with regards to the above link for Meltdown/Spectre:

“Exploitation for many issues on Android is made more difficult by enhancements in newer versions of the Android platform. We encourage all users to update to the latest version of Android where possible.”Newer versions of Android. How many users get those?

Oh, when are you going to stop with this BS about Android getting regular updates when you know damn well most Android devices don’t receive them? It’s not like you haven’t had this pounded into your head countless times over the years.

Android is appealing to me because of Google Search and Assistant capabilities.

1. Google will always be second best until changes their architecture so that when google issues updates EVERY PHONE will get the update including the cheaper phones.That probably means taking some control away from Carriers and OEMs.

2. While OEM's may like building their own software skins on top of pure Android. I've always looked at that as a mess. I would be interested in having the option to switch to different hardware from different Manufacturers if I didn't get stuck having to deal a different UI and eco-system when I switch. Google should have also found a way that the OEMs share in the benefits of a common eco-system.

3. Google has a way to go with building hardware. Rushing these things usually mean cutting corners.

That's why I carry an iPhone 8Plus and iPhone 7Plus as my personal phones - I actually considered getting the Pixel2 as my second phone but went with the iPhone 8Plus because of problems detailed by Android reviews (I think Android Authority).

I've criticized Apple and wish they provided TouchId Under the Display. I wish SIRI was better. Hoping the come out with a great HomePod (at$299) this spring that leap frogs Alexa (I have both an Alexa and Sonos One and like them) hopefully Apple will do better.

Apple will have a blow out quarter and year because of the X and the Watch. I think HomePods can be even more successful as the Watch if the give it a 3 or 4 straight years of continuous development like the did with watchOS.

I've enjoyed this editorial more than any other DED article in years because the tone was less venomous (but Daisey is an ass). Thank you.

I seriously don't know how anyone actually installs anything from Google in their house.....with Google listening to their every word for marketing..... It bugs me that my Sony TV uses Android...

It appears you have been given the wrong impression of what Google does. The Home devices sit there listening for the key word "Ok Google". It's processed on the device, nothing is recorded, and nothing is recognised until you say that phrase. Imagine it like you're listening to two people speaking Swahili then suddenly someone says "Ok, Snickers Magoo". Until that point you've heard everything they say but understood nothing.

The reason people install Google devices - it's the same reason we use the internet or have glass windows. The benefits outweigh the potential privacy and security risks for those people.

Unless someone prefers to have their iPhone with a failing battery shut down unexpectedly, and NOT be useable for a longer time (which no sensible person really wants), then this whole issue (and some people's "indignation") is totally senseless.

People generally are now well used to device performance degrading over time, that's not the issue. In the early generations of iPhone, a fixed battery was a non-issue as the device was so well made that it performed well for several years without needing any hardware "servicing" as such, any slow down was usually fixed with a clean iOS install. This was always a strong selling point of apple devices, they last. Something happened with the 6 onwards that battery life seems to have taken a serious longevity hit, to the point that even the barely a year-old iPhone 7 was included in the software-slow-down update. My iPhone 3G ran perfectly fine for 3+ years, my iPhone 5 ran perfectly fine for 3+ years, had they not succumbed to watery deaths, I would have ran them even longer. My iPhone 6S however began having power issues after just 18months and got so bad that I eventually sold the phone as faulty since it was out of warranty and there was nothing I could do personally to "fix" it. My wife's 6S was the same, hers suffered even more so from the shutdowns that she sold it and picked up an older 5S (that actually ran better!) until the 8 was released. The mere fact apple released an update to counter the battery issues proves there is a inherent flaw in these models and to not give the customers the full facts was very bad - they didn't have to get technical, just a simple notification or email even to say the battery was nearing end-of-life sooner than expected and having it replaced would resolve any issues. They didn't do this and many many people opted to upgrade to a newer iPhone as a result, assuming their 6/6S was just past-it. Thinking you have no option but to buy a new $800 phone when you could've just paid $29 for a new battery = plenty reason for some people's "indignation".

Samsung's Galaxy battery issues were even passed off as being an issue with Samsung's battery subsidiary (not the Samsung Galaxy makers!) as if the company is so large that there's no place the buck can ever stop.

Just for the records: Samsung SDI the battery maker is a publicly traded company and not a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics the smartphone maker.